Combined lifting and carrying tool



Dec. 2, 1930. STEVENSON 1,783,680

COMBINED LIFTING AND CARRYING TOOL Filed May 3, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l wI NVEN TOR. I'fGBZ/FTfl. 5TEVE/VSO/V,

ATTORNEY.

2, 1930. R. A. STEVENSON COMBINED LIFTING AND CARRYING TOOL Filed May 5,1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I INVENTOR. 505M714. 57.5 vavso/v,

' remove cans;

Patented Dec. 2, 1930 it I ROBERT A-.'JLSTEV ENSON;, OF w LMmGToiv,DnLAwimE" co vr sinnn meme IANDLCAQBRY'INGI eet application filed May a,

p The present invention relates to a combined toolrfor lift ngandcarrying either asingle v oria pluralitycf containers, "saidcontainers being characterized structurallyas having "'5 a laterallyextending exterior flange'or ex- "tension locatedadjacent theupperend orthe container. q i a More specifically, the invention is particularlyadapted for use in handling either a i: '10- single or a plurality "ofice creamfc n' o the llke.

frozen Produts u' lly entails pa'ckingth products inlargelcan's-for coldstorage and "I 10 delivery to pointsjof consumptionor distribution; Aconsiderable volume ofmate'rialis so handled in cans relativelylarge anddifiicult to manipulate by the hands of workmen. The material isusuallymaintained in frozen condition by refrigeration, at pointswhereretailsales are made by cabinets having open compartments into which thefilled cans are I inserted, until the contents are usea Thesecompartments are only "slightly larger than the container torbe receivedtherein-andthe containers are generally loweredwellbelow g p I Fig. sisaside view 'ofthe device of Fig. 7. Fig. 'Qf Fig. 7. i Various 'gripshave been employed for handling the cans such'a's'pliers, tongs and thelike. The present 'iinve ntion; contemplatesa unitary structure whichmay be" employed both in placing and removing form of the structure,Fig. 1 of the drawing,

thetop of, the cabinet to "allow for accommodation. of a closure"member, necessitating a tool in the hands of anjattendant to placeandthe cans, and which is also adapted "for use in carrying simultaneouslya plurality-oi:

cans either empty or loaded, thus saving time avoiding; the use o fmorethan: one tool,

' The invention has for its object the pro vision of :a combination toolwhich may be used to lift and carry a'plurality of cans or to manipulatea can or containerwhich maybe placed in relatively restricted space.

A further object of the invention is the pro- Figure 1 is Centralizedmanufacture of ice cream and accordance with the invention; I andexpense in the handling operation and ing h avi n'ga handleportion 2which is suitv ably formed'toffit without discomfoit the hand of theuser and to" provide meansfor 1930. Serial No. 449,484. T vision of a"sturdyjj compact structure which canfbe" economically manufactured.Further objects. and advantages will become apparent to those skilledinthe art, fromthe' structure hereinafterdescribed and claimed and showninthe drawing forming apart of thisspecificationf" 1 i Z'Referring-tolthedrawing fpla-n view of a preferreclform ofthe'd'eviceinac cordance' with the inven I V j 1 -Figf2 is anelevationalvi'ewf'taken at right angle to the showingjofFigl."

Fig. 3 is a sectional viewita'ken on line V Fig. t'is crosssectionalview through the main body portion taken on "the line of Fig. 5is a view illustrating the depending jaw'in lifting position forremoving a can from'acontainer. "Figfti is an illustration of the deviceof the invention in engagementwith a pluralityof clans. N V M; 'Fig. .7shows a} modified fOI'IIIOJi'dQViCB without the dependingjaw.

is a cross section taken on line 949 Fig. 10 is across section taken on;line. 10-1 O ofFig. 8. 1 1 I Fig. 11 is av modified-form showingseparateilugsg i Referring particularly to the preferred majnualmanipulationof thetooll Apair' of converging connecting arm portions 3ex tend downwardly from ends of the handle portion to a positionunderneath the handle connecting with a plurality of spaced parallelgripping jaws 4 and 5 and a lateral offset depending jaw member 6. Theaw members 4 and 5 are structurally identical and are disposed facingoutwardly in spaced relation on opposite sides with respect to avertical center line taken through the structure. Each jaw comprises aportion 7 eX- tending longitudinally of the structure, having at itsupperend a downwardly extending holding lug 8, and terminating'at thelower end in an angularly disposed outwardly directed hook 9 presentinga surface suitably arranged to engage below an external head orextension on a can when the upper lug is in engagement :with.thebinneriedg'e surface of the top of the can. The-hook 9 is arrangedto engagean extended surface of the underside of the can bead orextension whereas the lug 8 is relatively narrow and makes what may betermed. only a ,point contact on .the inside of the can. This is animportant feature which avoids extended contact with \material withinthe can, even though such material extend flush with .the upper edge ofthe can or-container. The upper point or lug 8 of the jawis laterallyoffset from the main portion 7, defining in conjunction therewith arecess 10v between the inner face of thelug and the .mainsbody portion.The upper edge of a container gripped by .the jaw extends into the.recess between thermain body :portion and thelug.

The jaw portions 4. and 5 .have their re spective lugs and hook portionsdisposedaat the same elevation but the depending jaw 6 is laterallyoffset midway between .the jaws 4E and 5 and disposed well below saidjaws. To afford the offset position, .the -jaw 6 is supported by anextension 11 from thecenter web 12 of the main body-portion. The

extension 11 is directed do-wnwardlyandoutwardly and terminatesat itsouter .end in the depending jaw 6. This depending 'jaw 6 is similarin-structure.to the previously described jaws 4 Hand 5, having identicalhooked endand spacedlug features for gripping .a single can. The.depen'ding .tjaw, however, has its gripping elements well below thoseof :the .other jaws and ;lat-

erally disposed 90 degrees to avoid .'in-\ terference with .the liftingfunctions of the other jaws when handling a plurality of cans. Astrengtheningrib 14 isindicated as connecting the central web of themain body portion and the extension .11, for the purpose oflendingrigidity tothe structure and to minimizethe amount of metal necessaryfor the manufacture ofthe device. To

. this end,the converging arms of the structure and the body portionsofthe aw members mayvbe provided with-the :marginal ,ribs 13 which serveto materially strengthen .the

structure. I

.Referring in particular .to Fig. 5 ofthe drawing, the tool is shown inthe position of engagement with a can 15, within a cabinet 16. It willbe noted that in the normal position of these cans within arefrigerating container that the upper edge of the can is lowered wellbelow the top of the cabinet and provides but little space between thesides of the can and the cabinet. The lower or depending jaw 6 isemployed for the purpose of lifting cans from confined spaces such asillustrated in this figure of the drawing and .the provisionof thedepending jaw.on the ,tool. obviates the necessity ofa workman car- .tobe obvious from the showingin Figs. .5

and 6 of the drawing.

Referring in particular to Fig. 7 of .the

drawing, .there is shown .a tool .for lifting and carryingsimultaneously twocontainer-s. .It will alsobeobvious thatthe device.may

be used with a singlecontainer. The structure :is identical with thestructure shown in Figs. 1.to4-of the .drawing, exceptthat the dependingjaw-extension has been omitted. Thelugs 8-.and hooks v9 are arranged inan .identical manner with 'that of the previously describedstructureiand the oppositelydisposed jaws are spacedby a connecting ,webwhich does not continue .to form .an .arm

extension.

'Thezdevicesshown in Figs. 7 to .10 are employed chiefly merely forhandling and carrvingthe loaded orlempty containers. it,be-

ing obvious that in factories or whereit is not necessary to handlecontainers which; are in confined spaces, that the flower. or d epen d-:ing .jaw'is not essential to the structure.

While'the structures have been shown in the form of integral castings,it is obvious that-the lugsS may be intheform of-separate membersinserted in slots in the main body portion and riveted or spot-weldedtherein. It will also be apparent :that the handle portion canbeprovided, if desired, with an insulating handle structure. This may beof advantage where.the tool is used for long periods of time inrefrigerated spaces where the metal isliable to become extremely cold.

Such handle structures as .f'

are referred to are conventional in the art and are not shown on thedrawing. j i The structure shown anddescribed abov has the advantage ofbeing formed as an integral casting and structurally arranged to be veryrugged and compact. It also has the advantage of economy inmanufacture,providing a device which may be cheaply made but which-eliminates theuseof separate tools yet allows a workman to carry in each hand aplurality of loaded or. emptyacontaine'rs andpermits that workman tohave embodied in the tool'a gripping" jaw which,may.be"

, utilized in removing and replacing containers within cabinets and thelike. This isja distinct advantage over the'prior art.

extended between said pair of jaws-to serve as a spacing connection andreinforcement for said aws.

Intestimony whereof, have hereunto sub scribed my name.

ROBERT A. STEVENSON.

Having thus described m invention in ac- I cordance with the statutes,claim:

1. In a tool for handling simultaneously a plurality of containershaving annular projections adjacent their upper ends, an finte gralrigid structure comprising a handle and main body portion and aplurality of spaced oppositely disposed jaw members, each jaw includinga hook for engaging the annular projections on the containers and alugspaced j from the hook adapted to engage: the'inner 1 upper surface ofthe container. Y a

2. Ina tool for handling simultaneously a plurality of containers havingannular pro; jections adjacent their upper ends, an integral rigidstructure comprising a handle,a

pair of spaced oppositely disposed rigid jaws in spaced relationunderneath thehandle, and

a reinforcing web connecting the spaced jaws. 3. In a tool for handlingsimultaneously a plurality of containers having annular pro- V jectionsadjacent theirupper ends, an integral rigid structure comprising ahandle, a pair of spaced oppositely disposed rigid jaws in spacedrelation underneath the handle, a

reinforcing web connecting the spaced jaws, and a separate depending jawrigidly connected with the reinforcing web and disposed below and inoffset relation to said pair of jaws.

4. In a tool'of the character described, a i V f-pair of oppositelydisposed rigid jaw members, a spacing and reinforcing member connectingsaid jaw members, and a handle over- I lying the jaw members andconnected therewith, each of said jaw members including a adapted toengage within the upper end of v rigid hook for engagement beneathanannular projection on a container and a rigid angularly disposed-lugspaced from said hook the container. 5. In a tool of the characterdescribed, a

pair of oppositely disposed rigid jaw mem bers, a spacing andreinforcing member connecting said jaw members, a handle overlying thejaw members and connected there with, an outwardly and downwardlydirected extension connected with said reinforcing

